No Matter What
by EverythingEver
Summary: The Doctor runs into someone else, before Rose. He takes her from our world to his and they find adventure along the way. She saves as many lives as she can while still maintaining his timeline. Planning to get M rated later on, i.e. naturally.
1. Surprise!

Ring!

_Who could that be?_

Ring!

"Door!"

…

"Fine! I'll get it!"

I go and unlock the door, when I open it I freeze in shock.

"Hello! What do you know about that library?" He points across the street. I look over, though I know its there, and say, "Everything." There's a pause while he processes my answer so I decide to explain. "I've been volunteering there since I was ten," I say.

"Would you mind showing me around?"

"Sure," I nod slowly. In the back of my mind I know this is strange but it's just across the way and I know everyone there.

"Is this some sort of joke? Ar-are you the Doctor?" I ask.

"Yes…" He nods and narrows his eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive!" He pauses, "How did you know? I don't exist in this universe!"

I smirk, "That's what you think." It has crossed my mind that this could be Christopher Eccleston, but there were three big problems with that: one, why would he be in the US, especially my small town. Two, _didn't he quit years ago?_ And three, I don't know anyone who would send Eccleston to prank me. I decided to roll with it.

"What?"

I sigh, "Come on in."

* * *

"I assume this world is parallel to yours, right?"

"Right."

"Well here, you're a character from a TV show," I say.

" That's impossible." He rejects my statement. _Guess I'll have to try harder, this Doctor _is_ kinda cynical._

"I can prove it." He wasn't expecting that, I can tell. "Do you mind?" I gesture for the remote. He hands it to me silently.

I turn on the TV and wait for Netflix to pop up. "You are on your ninth regeneration right? Well, the tenth if you count John Hurt." He looks suspicious and a bit confused but nods slowly. "Good, don't want to go revealing timelines now, do I?" Netflix pops up and I scroll to my profile. I go to my list and about halfway through it says, _Classic Doctor Who_. I click on it and restart the earliest episode. While it loads I ask, "Have you met Rose?"

"Who?" I nod at his answer.

"I didn't think so." It begins and he watches curiously, recognizing the scene in front of him. When it reaches the title I pause and choose one from his fourth regeneration. By the time the titles pop up again his brow is furrowed and he looks like he's about to interrogate me, so I shut it off.

"When did this start?"

"1963."

"1963," He mutters. "Who played my first regeneration?"

"William Hartnell, the second one I showed you was Tom Baker."

He nods, thinking. "And that was the first episode we saw?"

"No, the first begins just before you kidnap Barbara and Ian, it just isn't on Netflix."

"I didn't kidnap them," he mumbles.

"Basically."

"What do you know?" He scoffs.

"I saw it."

He thinks for a moment, "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk more later. First though, library."

"Right, library." I agree. I want to know why he's here. He gets up and I follow him to the door. "I just need to leave a note," I say. "One second." He waits impatiently, _that will never change_, for the ten seconds it takes. Then we leave.


	2. Quarere

"So what are you looking for?" I ask.

"I'll know it when I see it."

_Oh good! 'Cause that's helpful!_ I look around. "Alright…so it was named after Elsa Wentworth, that's her above the desk, I guess she gave the money to build it. Her family also started the Wentworth Northbrook School down the street. Up here is the adult section," I gesture to my right. "Separated by fiction and nonfiction and then by genre and topic respectively. That corner's got the computers and audio books. Those two," The shelves, "Have the CDs and DVDs. And back there is the YA section."

"What's back there?" He points at the doors behind the information desk.

"Its sort of a staff room. I mean there's a microwave and a bathroom but the new books are stored back there too. Downstairs?" He nods.

* * *

"Alright so on the left we have the children's books and some toys. On the right, chapter books, tables, and the nonfiction section."

"Hi Liz!" Kate calls out.

"And what's through here?"

"Bathrooms, an exit, and the boiler room. Hey, how are you?"

"Good, you still coming Wednesday?"

"And that door?"

"Old books, yeah I think so."

"Who's that with you?"

"Dad's cousin…um John. Aaannnd he's off, better catch up, see you around." I go through the arch and see him opening the boiler room door.

"You been in here?" He asks.

"No, I mean I got a peek once or twice but that's it."

"Come on then. Why John?"

"What?"

"You said my name was John, why?"

"Well sometimes you go by John Smith." He nods and gestures for me to continue. "And well, I can't say you're the Doctor because that's not a real name, plus I know for a fact she watches the show."

"What's wrong with this room?"

"Um," I look around. "Nothing's on?"

"Yes! Nothing's running!" _Oh good that was just a shot in the dark._ "But the electricity routes through here…"

"The light are on," I point out.

"The lights are on the power's off. How?" He spins around, "Ah! The room continues around that corner! C'mon!" He takes my hand and drags me around the corner.

I stop still in shock. What? This can't be happening. "How could I never have realized this was here? Wait, don't answer that!" He grins, then focuses.

"This technology… its familiar."

"Is it? Is this how you got through? I know travel between dimensions is almost impossible."

"Not almost, it is." He looks closer, "You're right! This is how I got through."

"What is it?"

"A series of links, to several connected universes."

"Do you mean like a bubble universe?" He looks at me. "Like how smaller soap bubbles are attached to the big ones?"

He bobs his head, "More or less." –_Wait, he said travel between parallel worlds is impossible. That will get disprove later but_—

"So this isn't a parallel world?"

"Nope"

"But I thought parallel universes were mostly the same. As far as I can tell, our universes are the same except your life is a TV show."

"Its not the same, I mean the Earth is similar, developed the same way."

"But?"

"But there is no other life in your universe, this Earth is it."

"Then this is a bubbleverse?" He looks amused.

"Yes…Now! I need to find who's doing this." He uses the sonic to scan the portals. "Fascinating, these links contain massive amounts of 17O."

"Isn't that Oxygen's rarest isotope?"

"It is!" He looks surprised and a bit impressed. "How did you know?"

"I took a geology class this summer, we talked about ice cores and glaciers."

"Well, I suppose this is similar in a way."

"How are portals to universes like glaciers?"

"They're not." I look at him. "But only a few species produce 17O, and, if I scan the air composition around us—" He does so. "Then! It will show us the isotope concentration of the air!" _And?_ "Which, given the age of the technology, means there's only one species it could be."

There's a long pause, so I prompt him. "And for those of us who are human that would be…?"

"Oh sorry, the Quarere."

"…What?"

He sighs, "Singular Quari, they're from the planet Limen in the galaxy of Ianua. About 4 million light years from Earth."

"So…they make doorways to other universes."

"Basically."

"Why? And why here? Was it by accident? Or…?"_ Wait!_ "Did they want to colonize?"

He scoffs, "No! What made you think that?"

"You said this planet was the only one with life on it. So, logically, if they had the technology to terraform a planet, this would be a great place to expand."

"What about the other doors?"

"Can't be their first try, it would be hard to find a universe that adheres to there exact needs."

"That's brilliant!"

"I try. Now what?"

"Now, it's time for a chat."


	3. The Old Girl

The Doctor quickly found the aliens and asked where their captain was. Everyone from the landing party was quickly gathered and they spoke with the Doctor. They had heard of him and so were quick to assure him of their good intentions. As a whole they were a fairly peaceful race but they had needed to expand and hadn't wanted to hurt or misplace another species. They had bee looking for a universe without much life, just enough to prove they could survive. They promised to only colonize and to do that far away from the Earth. This was the scouting party, sent to find a good planet and send the coordinates home. It was strange for me, to think of these people as aliens. I had known most of them in my childhood, talked to them, spent time with them, though a few I had only seen from a distance.

As I was saying goodbye to the Quarere, I noticed the Doctor trying to slip away. "Wait up! I'm not done with you." He raised his eyebrows. "Look, I want a proper goodbye, ok? I know you, I know you don't stick around and that you hate goodbyes but just one couldn't hurt could it?" I could see him wavering. "Plus…I was hoping, maybe you'd let me see the TARDIS before you left?" I look at him hopefully.

"Fine," He sighs. "You can see her." _Yes! _My face splits into a grin. Apparently it's infectious because he smiles back.

…

"Oh! She's beautiful!" I run up and put my hand against the door. I walk around, dragging my hand and marveling at the fact that she's real, here, in front of me. As I get back to the front the Doctor's unlocking the door. He steps inside and I hesitate, not knowing if he'll let me follow him.

"Well? What are you waiting for? You haven't seen her properly yet." I smile and run inside but stop short. _Oh wow! She really is so much bigger on the inside! The show just doesn't do her justice._ I walk forward and stroke the console; I can feel her in the back of my mind. She seems happy. I turn to the Doctor, and see that he's waiting for my reaction.

Grinning broadly, I tell him, "She really is bigger on the inside!" He laughs.

"Well she is—"

"Dimensionally transcendent, I know."

"It's strange being around someone who knows what I'm about to say."

"Not all of it!" The side of his mouth tilts up.

"Would-" He starts, then stops himself.

"What?"

"Nothing." He turns away.

"Alright…I suppose I should get home." I look around on last time and make my way to the door. "It was nice to meet you, both."

"Wait!" I turn to face him. "Would you travel with me? I can show you planets and galaxies and wonders."

"Really? You'd want me?" He nods silently. I hesitate, then say, "Ok, then pick me up next Friday." He frowns. "I can't be one of those companions whose whole life revolves around you. I won't abandon my family."

He deliberates, but nods. "Alright if I just jump ahead?"

I smile, "Please, see you on Friday then!" As I walk to the door I ask the TARDIS Could you make sure he lands on the right day? In the back of my mind I can feel something similar to both agreement and amusement. I smile and shut the door behind me.

...

Riding my bike home from school that Friday, I heard the TARDIS. I braked and looked around. She was just in view around the bend of the bike trail. I walked my bike over and knocked on the door. The Doctor's head popped out with a big grin, "Hello there!"

"Hi," I couldn't help but smile back. "Mind if I bring my bike in? I'd rather not just leave it." He nods and opens the door further.

Once I'm in he says, "So, you ready for an adventure?"

"Ready and waiting."

"Alright, so, where do you want to go? Krakatoa? Gligia? Frant? Shygrowatow—" The room started to spin a bit. "We could see the tower of Babylon, the glass pyramid of Justicia?" My knees buckled. "…The –hang on, you alright?"

"I—I feel dizzy." The TARDIS pitch changes and everything goes black.


End file.
